Alleged bank swindler caught after four years on the run

Alleged bank swindler caught after four years on the run

JAKARTA (JP): A Indonesian businessman wanted for allegedly
embezzling his bank of the equivalent of almost US$2.4 billion is
on his way home after four years on the run.

Suspect Sugianto L. Prabowo was arrested in Sydney and is
expected to arrive at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
tomorrow, secretary of the Interpol Central Bureau for Indonesia
Brig. Gen. Wayan Ardjana said yesterday.

He said Sugianto, an executive of Bank Perkreditan Rakyat in
the Salatiga, Central Java, was arrested by Australian police in
Sydney after being on the Indonesian police's most wanted list
for the past four years. Wayan declined to say when the arrest
was made.

"We have tracked him down for quite a long time. Two years
ago, we received information that Sugianto was heading for
Australia. Then our officers were after him."

Sugianto was a member of the bank's board of directors when he
allegedly embezzled the Rp 5 billion. The exchange rate in 1994
was Rp 2,100 to the greenback.

He is scheduled to arrive at about 2 p.m.

"He will be escorted by two officers, one from the National
Police and one from the Central Java Police, who are now in
Sydney."

When asked about other swindlers who escaped abroad, Wayan
said the police were continuing efforts to hunt them down.

"We are still searching for them, including one of the most
wanted suspects, Eddy Tansil. We have some new leads but we're
still working on them."

Tansil, Indonesia's best known jailbird, escaped while serving
time in 1996 for defrauding Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo)
of $620 million.

Indonesia has established extradition agreements
with several Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Philippines,
Thailand and Hong Kong.

The extradition agreement with Australia was signed in 1995.

"We want to have an extradition pact with European countries.
So far we have only developed police-to-police cooperation,"
Wayan said. (edt)